U.S. Central Command says more than 1 billion barrels of crude oil have passed through the Strait of Hormuz from Gulf partners over the past two months as American forces protected more than 2,000 commercial ship transits and enforced a naval blockade against Iran.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.
More than 1 billion barrels of crude oil have passed through the Strait of Hormuz from U.S. Gulf partners during the past two months as American military forces have helped protect thousands of commercial vessels moving through the strategic waterway, U.S. Central Command said Saturday.
Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, announced the milestone, saying commercial traffic through Hormuz continues to increase while U.S. forces maintain a naval blockade intended to prevent Iranian oil exports.
“CENTCOM forces have supported more than one billion barrels of crude oil leaving the Gulf,” Cooper said. “That’s one billion barrels of crude oil out through the Strait of Hormuz in the last couple of months.”
CENTCOM has also assisted more than 2,000 commercial vessel transits through the strait by coordinating protection for ships navigating the waterway, Cooper said.
“We’ve reached this significant milestone while assisting over 2,000 commercial ship transits through the strait by providing coordinated protection,” he said. “Clearly, momentum is building.”
The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and serves as a critical passage for oil, liquefied natural gas and commercial cargo moving from Gulf producers to international markets.
Cooper said the main shipping lanes through the strait have been cleared of mines, allowing thousands of vessels to navigate the route despite continued regional military tensions.
He also said the U.S. blockade has prevented Iran from exporting crude through the waterway while shipments from other Gulf producers have continued.
“Over one billion barrels of crude have been shipped from Gulf partners through the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran has exported zero barrels thanks to our ironclad blockade,” Cooper said.
Iran disputes the U.S. military’s assertion that its oil exports have been reduced to zero.
Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said last month that the country’s exports had declined under the blockade but maintained that Iranian oil was still reaching customers through deliveries conducted outside Iran’s territorial waters.
The competing claims come as control of shipping through Hormuz has become a central economic component of the broader confrontation involving Iran and the United States.
CENTCOM’s latest figures indicate that commercial movements through the strait have accelerated despite the conflict.
Cooper said the amount of crude oil, liquefied natural gas and other cargo transported through Hormuz during the past two weeks exceeded the volume recorded during any comparable period in the previous six months.
The military has been coordinating with governments throughout the Gulf as part of the effort to expand commercial movements while maintaining security around the waterway.
Cooper said CENTCOM is working with all six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council as well as shipping companies and insurers whose participation is necessary for commercial vessels to continue operating through the region.
The Gulf Cooperation Council consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The effort extends beyond escorting or protecting merchant shipping.
“We’re also working with every partner in the region, enhancing their air defense, forming a new coalition attack drone unit, and keeping the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters open and clear,” Cooper said.
The emphasis on air defenses and counter-drone capabilities reflects the broader range of threats facing shipping and infrastructure throughout the Gulf during the conflict.
CENTCOM’s announcement also highlights the economic importance of keeping energy exports moving while restricting Iran’s access to the same shipping corridor.
For Gulf oil producers, Hormuz provides the principal maritime route connecting export facilities inside the Persian Gulf to customers elsewhere in the world. Any prolonged interruption can affect energy transportation far beyond the region.
The movement of more than 1 billion barrels during the past two months therefore represents both an energy milestone and a measure of how much commercial traffic has returned to or continued through the strait under military protection.
Cooper said the increase has occurred while U.S. forces simultaneously maintain the blockade against Iran and keep the primary navigation routes clear.
CENTCOM did not provide a breakdown of how much of the 1 billion barrels originated from each Gulf producer.
The command also did not reconcile its assertion that Iran has exported no oil with Tehran’s claim that some Iranian crude continues to reach customers through alternative arrangements.
What CENTCOM did emphasize was the growing volume of non-Iranian commercial traffic.
According to Cooper, the combination of cleared shipping lanes, coordinated military protection and cooperation with Gulf governments and private industry has allowed more vessels to move through the strait during the closing weeks of the two-month period.
The more than 2,000 assisted transits include commercial ships carrying energy products and other cargo through waters that remain central to both the military confrontation and global trade.
For CENTCOM, the 1 billion-barrel threshold represents evidence that the U.S.-led effort is keeping Gulf energy exports moving despite the continuing war and blockade.
“Clearly, momentum is building,” Cooper said.
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